# North York → Cherry Beach 🚴‍♀️☀️ **October 15, 2025** It was one of those perfect Toronto days — warm, sunny, +20°C, and I just couldn’t sit at home. I grabbed my backpack, helmet, and set off from **North York to Cherry Beach** — my favorite long route when I need a piece of nature, freedom, and quiet. --- ## 🚴‍♀️ The Ride Most of the route goes **through parks**, surrounded by trees, crunchy leaves, and the smell of fall. A few parts pass through downtown, but even there it feels safe — **separate bike lanes, bike lights,** and proper signs everywhere.

This year I’ve already cycled over 1,300 km, and only now do I fully realize how good the Toronto cycling network actually is. It’s not perfect, but honestly — it’s impressive. And while the wheels were spinning, I was finishing an audiobook — **“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”** by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Such a warm, gentle, and a little sad story — about books, friendship, and survival during the war. It felt like the perfect match for this ride: calm, thoughtful, and full of small, interesting details. --- ## ☕ A Little Stop About an hour later I reached **Distillery District** — sunshine, brick walls, and the smell of fresh coffee being made.

I stopped at a cozy café, ordered a sandwich and tea, and just sat there, enjoying the quiet. Finished the last chapter of the book and smiled — it’s funny how the right story at the right time makes everything feel in place. --- ## 🌿 Cherry Beach By the time I got to **Cherry Beach**, it was almost empty. Which made sense — it was a Wednesday, and all the normal people were at work. Meanwhile, I was lying on the sand, drinking water, and watching the **swans and seagulls** argue over nothing. It was peaceful, almost meditative.

That day was actually the **last day of my unpaid leave**, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to end it — alone with the sound of waves and my thoughts.

Cherry Beach Toronto — (Photo by Nadia Tsy)

After a while, a few more people arrived — some with kayaks, another with a paddleboard, and one brave guy showed up in a robe with a cup of tea, sat for a minute… and then went swimming! The water was +18°C — definitely above my bravery level. Guess I’m not that Canadian yet 😅

--- ## 🏁 The Way Back And then came the “fun” part. If the way there was all downhill — guess what the way back was 😅 **234 meters of climbing**, and by the last stretch, I was pedaling on pure determination. The audiobook was still in my head — the voices from Guernsey, the letters, the hope. It kept me going, somehow making every uphill feel lighter. By the time I got home, Strava said **44.79 km** and about **900 calories burned** — not bad for a mid-October therapy ride. --- ## 💡 Tips if you plan to ride this route - 🚧 Two small road repairs on the way — easy to pass - 🚻 Two washrooms and one water station - ☀️ Go early — the way back is tougher - 💪 Save some energy for the uphill part - 🎧 And take a good audiobook — it helps more than protein bars 😄 - Map https://strava.app.link/GgX4LguCwXb ---

--- Written, Translated, and Revised by Aleksandra Tsygankova

All about Cherry-Beach

North York → Cherry Beach Ride